It was recently announced through a press release that Aniplex Inc. and Crunchyroll have officially joined forces to establish HAYATE Inc., a new anime production company focused on planning, developing, and producing exclusive content for Crunchyroll’s global streaming platform. Which means that anime fans who use the platform can expect and look forward to much more content coming in the future!
The Tokyo-based studio will bring together expertise from Aniplex and Crunchyroll to create high-quality anime for a worldwide audience. The venture will be led by:
- Masanori Miyaki – Chairman & CEO (Aniplex)
- Leo Watanabe – President & COO (Aniplex)
According to the official press release, HAYATE aims to deliver "premium content for anime fans worldwide," combining:
- Aniplex’s anime production expertise from years of collaborations with top creators and studios.
- Crunchyroll’s development, marketing, and global distribution capabilities to spread anime around the world.
With this joint effort, Aniplex and Crunchyroll reaffirm their commitment to expanding the anime industry and bringing fresh content to fans worldwide.
For those not familiar with Aniplex and Crunchyroll's backgrounds, Wikipedia describes them as:
Crunchyroll Background
Crunchyroll is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service owned by Sony Group Corporation. The service primarily distributes films and television series produced by East Asian media, including Japanese anime, and is headquartered in San Francisco, California, with a Japanese branch located in Shibuya, Tokyo.
Launched in mid 2006 by a group of University of California, Berkeley, graduates, the service has over 120 million registered users worldwide. Crunchyroll was previously a subsidiary of Otter Media, itself a subsidiary of AT&T's WarnerMedia, and from 2016 to 2018, the service partnered with Funimation, which Sony acquired in 2017 and would eventually merge into its brand in 2022 after Sony acquired Crunchyroll from AT&T in 2021. Crunchyroll is also a member of The Association of Japanese Animations (AJA).
Aniplex Background:
Aniplex, Inc. (株式会社アニプレックス, Kabushiki-gaisha Anipurekkusu) is a Japanese entertainment company, subsidiary of Sony Group Corporation, founded in September 1995 by Sony Music Entertainment Japan. The company focuses on planning, producing, and distributing anime series, both its own and those based on licensed intellectual properties (IPs). It also engages in related multimedia initiatives.
Aniplex's operations include the development and distribution of theatrical films, video games, and merchandise associated with its media franchises. It releases home media, produces original soundtracks, and organizes events such as musicals, stage performances, and live promotions. The company also manages copyrights and licensing agreements. Through Aniplex Online, its e-commerce platform, the company sells products directly to consumers.
Aniplex operates globally but has two regional headquarters: Aniplex America based in Santa Monica, California, US, while Aniplex China is based in Shanghai. It co-owns Crunchyroll, LLC with its sister company, Sony Pictures, which operates a direct-to-consumer (DTC) anime streaming service with 120 million registered users as of 2022.
As Crunchyroll and Aniplex continue to expand their library and original productions, HAYATE is poised to play a key role in shaping the future of anime streaming and production. Stay tuned to Animemojo.com for more updates as HAYATE’s first projects are revealed in the future!